Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1887-10-01

who was gazing at her tear stained face
a fierce smile playing round the corners o.
clean cut mouth, which his beard W
trimmed to leave clear.
at will pass, Miss Bessie" he said sit W.
pass have often seen such fits. They co
from too much excitement, or too rlu
drink
Suddenly he broke of with an exclama-
ton, and pointed to the house, from the roo
of which pale curls of blue smoke were risins.
"Who has fired the houseF' he shouted
"By Heaven! will shoot the man"
The Beers started round and stared i'll
astonishment, and as they did so the tinder
like roof burst into u broad sheet of fam.
that grew and gathered breadth and height
with an almost marvellous rapidity. Just
then, too, o light breeze sprang up from over
the hill at the rear Of the house, ~ it some
times did at this time of the day, and bent
the flames over toward them in an immense
arch of fire, so that the fumes and heat and
smoke began to beat upon their faces.
"Oh the house is burning down." cried
Bessie utterly bewildered by this new mis-
fortune.
"Here, your shouted Muller to the gaping
Beers, 'go and see if anything can be saved
Phew! we must get out of this and stoop-
arms and walked Off with him, followed by
Bessie, toward the plantation on their left,
which was the same where Jantje had taken
refuge In the center of this plantation was
a little glade surrounded by young orange
and blue gum trees Here he put the old man
down upon bed of dead leaves and soft,
springy grass, and then hurried away, with
out word, to the fire. only to find that the
house was utterly unapproachable. In fifteen
minutes, such was the rapidity with which
the flames did their work upon the mass of
dry straw and the wooden roof and floorings
beneath, the whole of the interior of the
house was glowing, incandescent pile, and
in half an hour it was completely Quilted,
nothing being left standing but the massive
outer walls of stone, over which dense
column of smoke hung like pail. Mooifon-
tein was blackened ruin; only tine stables
and outhouses, which were rooted with gal
vanized iron, being left uniniured.
Frank Muller had not been gone five
minutes when, to Bessie's JOY, her uncle
opened his eyes and sat up.
"What is itl what is it," he said. "Ah! l
recollect. What is all this smell of fire!
Surely they have not burned the place"
"Yes uncle" sobbed Bessie, "they have"
The old man groaned. "It took me ten
years to build, bit by bit, almost stone by
stone, and now they have destroyed it. Well,
why nots Gods will be done! Give me your
arm, love; 1 want to get to the water. I
feel faint and sick"
She did as ne bade her, sobbing bitterly
Within fifteen yards, on the edge of the plan
tation, was a little sprunt runnel of water,
and OF this he drank copiously and bathed his
wounded head and face.
"There, love-" he said, don't fret; l feel
quite myself again. fear made fool of
myself. l haven't learned to bear misfortune
aud dishonor as should yet, and, like Job, I
felt as though God had forsaken US. But, as
l said, his will be done. What is the next
move, I wonder? Ali we shall soon know,
for here comes our friend Frank Muller"
II am glad to see that you have recovered,
uncle" said Muller, politely, "and l am sorry
to have to tell you that the house is beyond
help. Believe me, if l knew who fired it
would shoot him. 1t was not my wish or in
tention that the property should be de
stroyed"
The old man merely bowed his head and
made no answer. His fiery spirit seemed to
be crushed out of him.
what is it your pleasure that we should
do, sir?" said Bessie at last. "Perhaps, now
that we are ruined, you will allow us to go to
Natal which, L suppose, is still an English
country!'
"Yes, Miss Bessie Natal is still English, for
tho present; soon it will be Dutch; but l am
sorry that cannot let you go there now. My
orders are to keep you both prisoners and to
try your uncle 10y court martial. The wagon
house." he went on, quickly, "with the two
little rooms on each side of it, has not been
touched by the fire. l will have them made
ready for you, and as soon as the heat is less
you can go there;" and, turning to the men
who had followed him, he gave some rapid
orders, which two of them departed to carry
out
Still the old man made no comment; he did
not oven seem indignant or surprised; but
poor Bessie was utterly prostrated and stood
helpless, not knowing what to say to this ter
rible, remorseless man, who stood so calm
and unmoved there before them.
Frank Muller paused a while TO think,
stroking his beard as he did SO, then turned
again and addressed the two remaining men
behind him.
"You will keep guard over the prisoner" !"
indicating Silas Croft, land suffer none to
communicate with him by word or sign. As
soon as it is ready you will place him in the
IUUlo TOOul 10 UHe lelU Vi uuo wagon HOuSS,
and see that he is supplied with all he wants
If he escapes, or converses, or is i'll treated, /
will hold you responsible. Do you under
stand!"
"Yah, nleinheer," )" was the answer.
"Very good; he careful you do not forget
And now, Miss Bessie, shall be glad if you
can give me a word alone
"No," said Bessie; no. will not leave my
uncle"
II fear you will have to do that" he said,
with his cold smile. 81 beg you to think
again 1t will be very much to your advan-
tage to speak to me, and to your uncle's ad-
vantage also. L should advise you to come, y
Bessie hesitated. She hated and mistrusted
the man, as she had good reason to do, and
feared to trust herself alone with him.
While she hesitated the two Beers under
whose watch and ward Muller had placed her
uncle came and stood between him and her,
cutting her of from him. Muller turned
and walked few paces-ten or SOTO the
right, and in desperation she followed him.